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How Georgia’s electorate changed in 2018

JOHN SPINK / AJC/JOHN SPINK / AJC
November 6, 2018 Atlanta : Voters waited over an hour to vote at Henry W. Grady High School at 29 Charles Allen Dr NE, in Atlanta on Tuesday Nov. 6, 2018. Metro Atlanta polling places reported steady lines as voters went to the polls Tuesday. Georgia voters were asked Nov. 6 whether the state constitution should be amended to give a 10-year, $200 million boost to land conservation, solidify the states commitment to crime victims and cut timberland taxes. Five proposed amendments appeared on the ballot, which most notably settles the long and hard-fought races for governor and other key offices. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

Posted: 11:59 a.m. Friday, November 30, 2018

During the campaign for Governor, Democrat Stacey Abrams made a big effort to register new voters and reach out to minorities.

The electorate shifted in ways that helped both campaigns and raises the possibility that Georgia could see more close races in the future.

Some highlights:

Voter turnout skyrocketed statewide by more than 10 percent from 2014 to 2018. Turnout increased by at least 20 percent in 81 counties. Kemp won 71 of those counties, which tended to be exurban or rural.

The electorate was less white than it has ever been. About 59 percent of Georgia voters were white. That’s down from 61 percent in 2016 and 64 percent in 2014.

Georgia voters were also older this year. People 52 and older made up 52 percent of the electorate, which was a 5 percent increase from 2016. Millennials were not much of a factor. Voters 18-34 were 19 percent of the electorate – about a 3-percentage point drop from two years ago.